Help BC Hear Better: Identifying gaps in knowledge and setting our research agenda
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Year 2024
- Principal investigator Lorienne Jenstad
- Co-lead(s) Grace Shyng, Network Hearing
- Host institution University of British Columbia
- Research location University of British Columbia - Vancouver Campus
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Team members
- Grace Shyng, Network Hearing
- Danielle Lafleur, University of British Columbia
- Lorienne Jenstad, University of British Columbia
- Andrew Wister, Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University
- Julie Beadle, Simon Fraser University
- Elissa Robb, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
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Partner(s)
Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation and Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Health Aging
Approximately 1 in 5 Canadians aged 20 to 79 has hearing loss that affects their ability to hear speech. Left unmanaged, hearing loss can contribute to social withdrawal, loneliness, decreased mental and physical health, and increased risk of hospital readmission. The burden of hearing loss increases with age, rising to 65% in adults over 70 years old. Despite how common hearing loss is, there are many barriers to accessing hearing healthcare. Barriers at the individual level (e.g., hearing aid appearance, minimal perceived benefit) have been well researched, while social and systemic barriers (e.g., policy gaps in hearing aid funding; inequitable access) have received relatively less attention. This project will explore the feasibility of funding hearing healthcare for seniors aged 60+ in BC. This grant will fund two activities: a data scan and a workshop. The data scan will identify existing published and unpublished data on hearing loss prevalence, individual and societal impacts of unmanaged hearing loss, and economic models of hearing health funding programs. The workshop will bring together stakeholders to discuss the existing data, plan for how to fill in gaps, and start a conversation about advocacy messaging.